Chevrolet Tavera
No, you cannot call it a bread-box on wheels. As a matter of fact, it is far from it! The Tavera is surely a good-looking machine that fits the ‘people-mover’ tag perfectly. But since the introduction of the Innova, things have not been going well for her. What it essentially has done is fill the space left by the Toyota Qualis. The Innova is quite expensive and there’s no other machine that falls in the same space as the Qualis, so the Tavera has more than filled up that space and has been doing rather well.
The Tavera is strictly a MUV and the body-on-frame layout hints at the age-old underpinnings that have been made use of. The suspension was specially optimized for India and does a great job of absorbing whatever is thrown at it. The ride, though not exactly cushy, is quite pliant. Handling is the weak area of the Tavera but then again, it is a car that will not be driven with your mad-hat on. For normal use, it is just fine and the body roll is well controlled. The high speed stability is also commendable. Brakes however are something that Chevrolet should look into as they feel soggy and you have to really press them hard to feel the discs working.
The interior is not really high-class but for the purpose that the Tavera sells, the interior is a job well done. It can stand the punishment of Indian conditions and will go on without rattling for as long as you want it to. The 2.5-litre direct injection diesel engine is an Isuzu unit and it is quite a workhorse! Peak power of 80bhp comes in at 3900 rpm while 186Nm of torque peaks at 1800 revs. But the way the engine pulls from low revs is astonishing and the torque curve is very linear. This makes driving around town a breeze.
The Chevy Tavera is not about performance or zero-to-hundred times. It is more about lugging capacity and the Tavera does that well. Essentially an Isuzu Panther, the Tavera is the perfect MUV for suburban places and for people who are not inclined towards the Innova owing to its asking
Dewas has many industrial units providing employment to thousands of industrial workers. It has some industrial areas on Indore road and also few pockets of industries on Ujjain road.
Dewas t has many mid-sized and small industries. The largest companies include Tatas, Kirloskers, Arvind Mills, S Kumars, Tata - Cummins, Gajra Gears,Gabriel India Ltd, Ranbaxy Labs, Steel Tubes and the Bank Note press. The rapid industrialization took place in the late 70s and early 80s, but due to inadequate infrastructure, the pace has been slower since the late 80s. There are still large companies delivering substantial profits however. Dewas is known as the Soya capital of India and is a major part of the soya bean processing industry in the country.
In recent years, some industries have closed their operations due to a shortage of sufficient infrastructure to support growth. The main factor is the shortage of water as the water table has significantly reduced due to excessive usage in previous decades.
Due to its high location above mean sea level and at one corner of plateau, constant wind flows in the region making it perfectly suited for harvesting wind energy. MP wind farms have chosen an ideal location for planting more than 100 huge monster like wind mills on a hill some 13 km from Dewas. It generates around 15 megawatts of power. A few private companies have financed these to get uninterrupted power supply.
Toyota Innova
Manufactured by Toyota Kirloskar Motor, Toyota Innova was launched in India in March 2005. In the process Toyota Innova replaced the ageing Toyota Qualis. Toyota Innova is essentially a MUV but it also carries with it the elegance of a sedan. Toyota Innova comes in both petrol and diesel engine. The petrol engine has Toyota VVT-I, while diesel engine has D4D.
Interiors
On the top-line models, the tasteful two-tone dash has a matt finish on top, wooden inserts on the sides of the central console and switches and knobs of fairly high quality. The light colours do look good. An electronically adjustable air-con is absent. The space is what one immediately notices and it’s a lot of it. To add to this legroom, seat height and the seats themselves are top-class. Even the tallest drivers can get comfortable behind the wheel. The seats offer good support and are well padded and bolstered. The cubby holes and bottle holders are placed keeping in mind convenience of the people sitting inside. the The Innova also has the most useable and comfortable rear seats in the class, and the split seat reclines individually. The legroom offers comfort even on long rides.
Drivetrain
With a 1.5-tonne kerb weight to haul, the Innova needs less power than heavier competition like the Scorpio and Tavera, and the 102bhp and 20.39kgm of twist from the 2.5-litre common rail turbo-diesel cope well. The relatively short gear ratios are perfectly matched to the engine's power and torque characteristics, and complement the superb driveability. As a result, ambling in city traffic is a breeze and you never feel a lack of power or the need to downshift. At highway speeds, the Innova cruises comfortably but the shorter gearing does have its drawbacks. Up the pace to 120kph, and there is a distinct drone which does get intrusive. The long-throw gearbox is UV-derived but it’s light, direct and better than on many cars. The short gearing and driveability mean you're always in a high gear, which help it edge its rivals in the city, with 10.3kpl.
Handling & Safety
It's only on really rough roads that the Innova’s soft front suspension pitches a bit. Ground clearance is sufficient for most roads but the Innova hasn't the ride height for serious off-roading, the 2WD configuration being another limiting factor. The Innova comes with ABS and they do make a difference for halting when at high speeds.
The high ground clearance of Toyota Innova ensures excellent drivability on rough and bumpy roads. Innova offers you unparalleled road comfort and durability, because it comes equipped with a newly designed rear 4-link suspension. The front suspension is a coil-spring double wishbone, which enhances the riding comfort. Advanced technology used in the engineering of Toyota Innova ensures good performance and mileage.
Toyota Innova is packed with a range of advanced safety features. The car comes equipped with Load Sensing Proportion Valve (LSPV), which provides good braking performance. Other safety features of the MUV include Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), dual front SRS airbags, side door impact beams, 3-point seatbelts for every row, child protector locks, etc. The vehicle is also equipped with Theft Deterrent System.
Overall Evaluation
Toyota Innova is available in both petrol and diesel models. Its variants include E, G, V and VM. The MUV was priced at Rs 6.82 lakhs when it was launched. It is available in spectacular colors like White, Super White II, Silver Metallic, Beige Mica Metallic, Black Mica, Dark Red Mica Metallic, Light Green Mica Metallic and Champagne Mica Metallic. After the success of the Toyota Qualis, the Innova has sustained the success of Toyota Kirloskar Motors in India. The car is not only fun to drive but an apt option for large/joint families.
Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga also has its own history and stories.Three of them are prominent. The first story is about Vindhya Parvat (Mount). Once upon a time Narada (son of Lord Brahma), known for his non-stop cosmic travel, visited Vindhya parvat. In his spicy way Narad told Vindhya Parvat about the greatness of Mount Meru. This made Vindhya jealous of Meru and he decided to be bigger than Meru. Vindhya started worship of Lord Shiva to become greater than Meru. Vindhya Parvat practiced severe penance and worshipped parthivlinga (A linga made from physical material) along with Lord Omkareshwar for nearly six months. As a result Lord Shiva was pleased and blessed him with his desired boon. On a request of all the gods and the sages Lord Shiva made two parts of the lingas. One half is called Omkareshwara and the other Mamaleshwar or Amareshwar. Lord Shiva gave the boon of growing, but took a promise that Vindhya will never be a problem to Shiva's devotees. Vindhya began to grow, but did not keep his promise. It even obstructed the sun and the moon. All deities approached sage Agastya for help. Agastya along with his wife came to Vindhya, and convinced him that he would not grow until the sage and his wife returned. They never returned and Vindhya is there as it was when they left. The sage and his wife stayed in Srisailam which is regarded as Dakshina Kashi and one of the Dwadash Jyotirlinga.
The second story relates to Mandhata and his son's penance. King Mandhata of Ishvaku clan (an ancestor of Lord Ram) worshipped Lord Shiva here till the Lord manifested himself as a Jyotirlinga. Some scholars also narrate the story about Mandhata's sons-Ambarish and Mucchkund, who had practiced severe penance and austerities here and pleased Lord Shiva. Because of this the mountain is named Mandhata.
The third story from Hindu scriptures says that once upon a time there was a great war between Devas and Danavas(demon), in which Danavas won. This was a major setback for Devas and hence Devas prayed to Lord Shiva. Pleased with their prayer, Lord Shiva emerged in the form of Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga and defeated Danavas
Tata Indica
Tata Indica is the most successful diesel hatchback car in its segment. The engine delivers higher amount of torque providing smoother drive, with more response. MPFI engine of Tata Indica works with 32 bit microprocessors and sports sensors, along with knock control sensors which help in providing good fuel econom
Tata Indica V2 old is available with four variants and all its four variants are equipped with a 1396cc diesel engine with 475 IDI with new Microprocessor based Engine Management System (ECU) technology that offers high engine performance with good fuel efficiency. This diesel engine offers mileage of around 13.6kmpl in city while on the highway it gives 17.2kmpl . The new BS IV compliant powerplant is configured with 1405cc, 4 cylinders that delivers max power of 71 ps at 4500 rpm and develops a top torque of 135 Nm at 2500 rpm. According to the company, the new engine is more powerful and fuel efficient. The engine gives the highest mileage of 19 kmpl on highways and 14.5 kmpl in city limits
The early history of Ujjain is lost in the midst of antiquity. As early as the time of the Aryan settlers, Ujjain seems to have acquired importance. By the 6th century B.C. Avanti with its capital at Ujjaini, is mentioned in Buddhist literature as one of the four great powers along with Vatsa, Kosala and Magadha. Ujjain lay on the main trade route between North India and Deccan going from Mathura via Ujjain to Mahismati (Maheshwar) on the Narmada, and onto Paithan on the Godavari, western Asia and the West. The Northern black polished ware - the NBP as it is often called which is technically the finest pottery of the time, with a brilliantly burnished dressing almost of the quality of a glaze in colour from jet black to a deep grey or metallic blue and iron, found their way to the northern Deccan from the Gangetic plains through Ujjain. The articles of export to the western Asia such as precious stones and pearls, scents and spices, perfumes, silks and muslin, reached the port of Brighukachcha from the remote north through Ujjain. All this finds a detailed and interesting description in the Periplus of the Erythrean Sea, an account of an unknown Greek merchant who made a voyage to India in the second half of the first century AD. The Periplus talks of a city called Ozene to the east of Barygaza (Broach) which fed all commodities to trade like onyx, porcelain, fine muslin and quantities of ordinary cotton, spikenard, costus bodellium to this important port and to other parts of India.
The earliest known epigraphic record of the Paramaras, the Harsola Granth, issued at the beginning of the 10th century AD, maintains that the kings of the Paramara dynasty were born in the family of the Rastrakutas in the Deccan. The early Paramara chiefs of Malwa were probably vassals of the Rastrakutas. The Udaypur Prasati, mentions Vakpati Vakpati I as the king of Avanti and it was probably in his region that the Rastrakuta Indra III halted at Ujjain while advancing with his army against the Pratihara Mahipala I. Malwa was lost in the time of Vakpati's successor, Vairisimha II, to the invading forces of Mahipala I who avenged his defeat at the hands of Indra III by invading the empire of Rastrakuta. Mahipala and his Kalachuri confederate Bhamanadeva are said to have conquered the territory up to the banks of the Narmada including Ujjain and Dhar. The Paramara sovereignty in the Malwa ceased until AD 946 when Vairsimha II became dominant in the area. It is in his son Siyaka II's reign that the independent Paramara rule in Malwa began. It is believed that it was this time that the capital was shifted to the area of the Mahakala Vana in Ujjain. From the 9th to the 12th centuries, the Paramaras became so identified with Ujjain that subsequent tradition has converted Vikramaditya into a Paramara. The last Paramara ruler, Siladitya, was captured alive by the Sultans of Mandu, and Ujjain passed into the hands of the Muslims.
Thus began a long era of misfortune and decay and the ancient glory of Ujjayini was lost in a morass of repeated inroads of attacking hordes. The invasion of Ujjain by Iltutmish in 1234 triggered off a systematic desecration and despoiling of temples. This tide of destruction was stemmed only in the time of Baz Bahadur of Mandu. The Mughal rule heralded a new era in reconstruction. Emperor Akbar put an end to Baz Bahadur's hegemony over Malwa and had a city wall constructed for the defense of Ujjain. The Nadi Darwaza, Kaliadeh Darwaza, Sati Darwaza, Dewas Darwaza and Indore Darwaza were the various entrances to the city. In 1658 took place a battle near Ujjain in which Aurangzeb and Murad defeated Maharaja Jaswant Singh of Jodhpur, who was fighting on behalf of Prince Dara. The actual scene of the battle is Dharmatpura, renamed Fatehbad by Aurangzeb, after the victory. The cenotaph of Raja Rattan Singh of Ratlam, who fell in the battle, still stands at the site. In the reign of Mahmud Shah, Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh was made the Governor of Malwa. A great scholar of astronomy, he had the observatory at Ujjain reconstructed and built several temples.
At the beginning of the 17th century, Ujjain and Malwa went through another period of seize and invasion at the hands of the Marathas, who gradually captured the entire region. The Maratha domination of Malwa gave impetus to a cultural renaissance in the region and modern Ujjain came into being. Most of the temples of Ujjain were constructed during this period. It was during this time that Ujjain became the meeting ground of painters of the Poona and Kangra styles. The impact of the two different styles of painting is distinctive. The examples of Maratha style are found in the temples of Ram Janardan, Kal Bhairava, Kalpeshwar and Tilakeshwar while the traditional Malwa style can be seen in the Sandipani Ashram and in many large houses of the local seths. In the Maratha period, the art of wood work also developed. Wood carvings were done on the galleries and balconies. But many excellent examples have either been sold as junk or destroyed. Ujjain finally passed into the hands of the Scindias in 1750 and until 1810, when Daulat Rao Scindia founded his new capital at Gwalior, it was the chief town of his dominions. The shifting of the capital to Gwalior led to a decline in the commercial importance of Ujjain. But the opening of Ujjain-Ratlam-Godhra branch of the Bombay-Baroda line corrected the balance. A considerable volume of trade mainly with Bombay, existed in cotton, grain and opium during the British Indian period.
There is much to demonstrate that in the perspective of India's long history, Ujjain enjoyed great importance in the battle for the empire and the constant struggle for supremacy. Political importance was compounded by the economic factor of Ujjain being situated on the main artery of trade between the North, the South and the West. This in turn contributed to Ujjain acquiring a cultural splendour of its own which is equaled by very few other cities in India.
The names of Kalidasa and Ujjayini are inextricably linked together in the Indian traditions. It is in Meghdoot, a poem of a little over hundred verses, describing the anguish of a yaksha, separated from his beloved by a curse, sending a message to her in the city of Alaka through a rain cloud from his exile in Ramagiri (now identified as Ramtek near Nagpur) that Kalidasa's love of Ujjayini finds full expression. The poet describes the imaginary passage of the cloud over Ujjayini, and it is almost as if he is loath to move on, for in 12 verses (27-38), there is a lyrical description of the city and the people which conjures up a vivid picture of a civilized attractive society, a leisured class, intensely practical and yet imbued with deeply religious and philosophical preoccupations.
Aurangzeb gave numerous grants to temples belying tales of intense religious bigotry, which are preserved to this day by the families of the priests. He is said to have issued a firman giving blanket protection to Dara Shikoh's guru, Kavindracharya Saraswati, after he killed his brother. Several manuscripts signed by Kavindracharya Saraswati are preserved in the Scindia Oriental Institute to this day.
It is believed that there was once a majestic Sun temple at this site. The Avanti-Mahatmya of the Skanda Purana has recorded a description of the Sun Temple and two tanks, the Surya Kunda and the Brahma Kunda. People from nearby villages have a ritual dip in the Surya Kunda even today. Remains of the old temple are found scattered all over this area.
A fragmented inscription of this place records the building of the palace in 1458, in the time of Mahmud Khilji. The story goes that the tanks were constructed all around to keep the temperature very low by Sultan Nasiruddin Khilji, the Sultan of Malwa in the 16th century, because he was in the habit of taking mercury which is hot.
As a great religious center, Ujjain ranks equal to Benaras, Gaya and Kanchi. Saivism, Vaishnavism and their various cults and sects, Jainism and Buddhism, have found a niche in this catholic city. The Avanti Khanda of the Skanda Purana mentions innumerable temples consecrated to Shakti and her various forms. The Siddha and the Natha cults which were offshoots of Tantricism, also flourished in Ujjain.
Toyota Etios
The Etios has been a decent success for Toyota but now with the likes of the Chevrolet Sail and the soon-to-be-launched Honda Amaze, the Etios is facing a big threat. The new Etios launched will take care of that. The new Etios has a redesigned grille with chrome finish, rear combination lamps plus new indicators on side view mirrors. There is also a new colour called classic grey. The front for example has the huge ‘smile’ grille and clear lens headlamps. The running side spoiler, clean side lines and the running chrome lip on the boot go a long way in adding flair to the design. The interiors on the other hand are truly one of the strongest selling points of the Etios. When it comes to changes there is a two tone look with a textured dashboard, soft fabric and ash brown colour. Features wise you get a new 2 Din audio with Bluetooth, USB, Aux- In and remote, driver seats comes with height adjust, combimeter with new blue illumination and new AC control panel with clean air filters. The interiors are, without a doubt, the most practical and spacious of the lot in this price range and make the car feel like a much bigger segment vehicle on several occasions. The Etios can seat five adults in utter comfort while keeping all their individuals bottles in addition to two more, at a handy distance. Further it gets a huge 13-litre glovebox to keep more bottles chilled. The Etios is now powered by two engine options. The petrol is the best in class 1.5-litre unit which is basically Toyota’s 2NR-FE unit but does without the VVTi technology to keep costs low. It not only puts out a very healthy 90PS of power, but at the same time, the car being as light as a premium hatchback means it’s power to weight ratio is better than the competition. The company also claims an ARAI fuel efficiency figure of 17.6kmpl which is astonishing for a car of this class and with an engine so potent. However the one that will be selling like hot cakes is the new diesel version that comes with the same D-4D motor as found on the Altis though in the Etios, to cut costs, it does away with the variable geometry turbo and has a fixed one instead. The maximum power is 68PS while the peak torque stands at 170Nm. It also has a fantastic ARAI rated fuel economy of 23.59kmpl which means you will easy get around 17-18kmpl in real world conditions. Both the petrol and diesel engines are mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. The suspension set-up is on the softer side to ensure a better ride and comfort factor for the Indian families than for hitting the twisties on weekends. The car responds sharply to the driver’s inputs and its ability to zip through traffic is remarkable. It would be safe to say that overall drive dynamics and vehicle behaviour are neutral. The diesel line up will now have
The earliest reference to Mandu is available in the Sanskrit inscription of 555 AD, which tells that Mandu was a fortified city even in 6th century BC. It gained prominence in 10th and 11th century under the Parmars (who called it Mandavgarh), from whom the control was snatched by Khiljis in 1305.Mandav or Mandu's was earlier known by the name of "Shadiabad" meaning the city of happiness (Anand Nagari), the name was given by then ruler Allauddin Khilji. Mandu city is situated at an elevation of 633 metres (2079 feet) and extends for 13 km (8.1 mi) along the crest of the Vindhya Range, overlooking the plateau of Malwa to the north and the valley of the Narmada River to the south. These acted as natural defences and Mandu was originally the fort-capital of Rajput Parmara rulers of Malwa. Towards the end of the 11th century, it came under the sway of the Taranga kingdom.
In the 10th century Mandu was founded as a fortress retreat by Raja Bhoj. It was conquered by the Muslim rulers of Delhi in 1304. When Timur captured Delhi in 1401, the Afghan Dilawar Khan, governor of Malwa, set up his own little kingdom and the Ghuri dynasty was established. And thus began Mandu's golden age.
His son, Hoshang Shah, shifted the capital from Dhar to Mandu and raised it to its greatest splendour. Hoshang's son, Mohammed, the third and last ruler of Ghuri dynasty ruled for just one year He was poisoned by the militaristic Mohammed Khalji, who established the Khilji dynasty and went on to rule for the next 33 years. He was succeeded by his son, Ghiyas-ud-din in 1469 and ruled for the next 31 years. Ghiyas-ud-din was a pleasure seeker and devoted himself to women and song. He had a large harem and built the Jahaz Mahal for housing the women, numbering thousands, of his harem. Ghiyas-ud-din was poisoned, aged 80, by Nasir-ud-din, his own son
Humayun
Sher Shah Suri
In 1526, Mahmud II the sixth Khalji ruler made no resistance against the invading Bahadur Shah of Gujarat who conquered Mandu March 28, 1531. In 1530 Humayun, the second Mughal Emperor, succeeded Babur. Babur had established the Mughal dynasty. Humayun had two major rivals: Bahadur Shah of Gujarat and Sher Shah Suri. Humayun was engaged in a war with Sher Shah Suri when he learned of an imminent attack by Bahadur Shah of Gujarat who was being aided by the Portuguese. With an unusual swiftness Humayun attacked and defeated Bahadur Shah. Thus in 1534 Mandu came under Humayun's rule. Humayun fancied Mandu so he relaxed here for a brief, peaceful interlude Humayun lost the kingdom to Mallu Khan, an officer of the Khalji dynasty. Ten more years of feuds and invasions followed and in the end Baz Bahadur emerge in the top spot.By this time Humayun had been defeated by Sher Shah Suri and had fled India. Sher Shah Suri died in 1545 and his son Islam Shah died in 1553. Islam Shah's 12 year old son Feroz Khan became the king but was killed by Adil Shah Suri within 3 days. Adil Shah appointed Hemu, also known as 'Hemu Vikramaditya' as his Chief of Army and Prime Minister. Hemu had a rapid rise during Sur regime. A grain supplier to Sher Shah Suri's army and then Chief of Intelligence or Daroga-i-Chowki (Superintendent of Post) under Islam Shah, he became the Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Afghan Army (Sher Shah Suri's army) under the reign of Adil Shah Suri. Adil Shah Suri was an incompetent ruler and many rebellions occurred against his rule. Hemu was sent to quell these rebellions. During this period Hemu attacked Mandu also and Baz Bahadur ran away from Mandu. Hemu appointed his own Governor here.
During this period Humayun had returned to India and in 1555 was again the emperor. In 1556 Humayun died after falling while descending a staircase.
Mughal forces led by Adham Khan, enter the fort of Baz Bahadur of Malwa, 1561, Akbarnama ca 1590-95.
The Defeat of Baz Bahadur of Malwa by the Mughal troops, while Rani Roopmati, and her female companions, view the scene from the terrace of the fort. 1561- Akbarnama, ca 1590-95
Hemu was in Bengal at the time and sensing an opportunity attacked Mughals. Soon Agra, Bihar, Eastern UP, Madhya Pradesh were all won and on 6 October 1556 he won Delhi, defeating Akbar's forces, and had his coronation at Purana Quila, the next day. Akbar defeated and killed Hemu in the second Battle of Panipat on November 7, 1556. In 1561, Akbar's army led by Adham Khan and Pir Muhammad Khan attacked Malwa and defeated Baz Bahadur in the battle of Sarangpur on 29 March 1561. One of the reasons for Adham Khan's attack seems to be his love for Rani Roopmati. Rani Roopmati poisoned herself to death on hearing the news of fall of Mandu. Baz Bahadur fled[5] to Khandesh. Akbar, soon recalled Adham Khan and made over command to Pir Muhammad. Pir Muhammad attacked Khandesh and proceeded up to Burhanpur but he was defeated by a coalition of three powers: Miran Mubarak Shah II of Khandesh, Tufal Khan of Berar and Baz Bahadur. Pir Muhammad died while retreating. The confederate army pursued the Mughals and drove them out of Malwa. Baz Bahadur regained his kingdom for a short period. In 1562, Akbar sent another army led by Abdullah Khan, the Uzbeg, which finally defeated Baz Bahadur. He fled to Chittor. Baz Bahadur remained a fugutive at a number of courts till he surrenedered in November, 1570 to Akbar at Nagaur. He joine
